Um… I’m going to respectfully decline this one anon. Mostly because this seems like you have a very specific ficlet in mind, and if so I think it would be better for you to bring it into the world yourself. But also because I’m still trying to belatedly fill all of my ask box things you said prompts left in my ask box. And also, also, this doesn’t quite match up with my own personal headcanons for what a Shikako and Naruto family would be like.

[Also times three: Boruto canonically exists as a Naruto and Hinata child so… unless you’re saying that any first child of Naruto would be named Boruto regardless of who the mother may be, I think that might be a little confusing. It’s why I named Sakako separately from Sarada (and also so Sarada could still exist)]

But in all fairness, I could go a little bit into said headcanon for what a Shikako and Naruto family would be like since my wave of next gen fic didn’t really touch on it. I mean, there’s Kareru of course, who I still think would be the Konoha Twelve’s first kid (mostly because the idea of Team Seven accidentally acquiring a baby seems too improbable not to be true) but that wasn’t really specifically Shikako/Naruto.

But my personal headcanon for Shikako/Naruto future fic predicates on the fact that Naruto realizes that becoming Hokage isn’t something that he wants anymore. Like. He wanted to become Hokage so that the village would love him. But the village already loves him, so he doesn’t need to be Hokage anymore. Then that way, Shikako and Naruto travel around the world being the badass power couple that Tsunade and Jiraiya could have been had their collective and individual tragedies/issues not driven them apart.

And then Shikako and Naruto just stumble on a lot of orphan kids with crazy powers/abilities that ostracized them from their small towns and accidentally become a traveling ninja version of Xavier’s Home For The Gifted. So I guess in a way they do what Orochimaru should have done instead of being a creepy and evil scientist. Rectifying the injustices Orochimaru and Danzo have done to orphan kids around the world…

Maybe at some point they do have biological children who absolutely love their bizarre family, but that’s not really the point. (Although now that I’m thinking of it, I kind of wonder what their names would be. I don’t think I would have them be named Boruto to prevent confusing canonically Naruto/Hinata’s son, but there’s nothing quite as simple and obvious as Sakako was for a Shikako/Sasuke daughter.)

The problem is, I’m not sure whether or not Boruto (and by extension, Himawari) would exist in this world. Like… Sarada still exists in the Walking Around ‘verse, because she’s still the genetic child of Sakura and Sasuke even if it’s through a repopulation program and not a traditional marriage+procreation. But for Boruto (and by extension, Himawari) to exist, Naruto and Hinata would have to get together at least once. Which, I mean, Naruto could very well be poly (and Shikako isn’t possessive of those she loves given my entire next gen stuff could arguably be in the same ‘verse) but I don’t know how Hinata (and by extension, the Hyuuga clan) would look upon that.

Hm… sorry anon. I just really like the idea of Shikako and Naruto traveling around and every so often they go back to Konoha with like… fifteen kids in tow all of whom have amazing and bizarre abilities.

Uh… not so much… I mean… I full on went into it here back when I was writing a lot of the next gen “Our Share of the World” ficlets, but basically… it’s not something that is compatible with my own personal headcanons of the involved characters.

And there’s also the fact that in my head it’s just: he definitely exists in canon Boruto which doesn’t have Shikako. (Also, also, according to DoS there’s basically birth control no jutsu which makes accidental pregnancy highly improbable).

I mean, definitely feel free to have that as your own headcanon for Shikadai; but it’s not something that I’d pick up for my own collection. I quite like the idea of Shikako just being Shikadai’s bewilderingly powerful aunt who is always on crazy adventures.

And I just really love the idea that Gaara would be the kind of person to adopt children leading into the next gen sand siblings (regardless of being in a relationship with Shikako or not).

Although even if Shikadai was biologically Gaara and Shikako’s, if he’s still raised by Shikamaru and Temari then I don’t see much of a story happening that isn’t needlessly “you’re not my real mom” or whatever which is unappealing on a huge level and also, irritatingly, maybe what’s going on with Sarada and Sakura? No, thank you.

I mean, I guess I could try to come up with a plotty brainstorm of Yoshino&Shikaku with their grandchildren, but this just seems like a collection of five scenes of Y&S with their grandchildren.

Sorry this took so long, but since this isn’t really a fake fic title prompt, I just tried to fill it like a regular prompt. Enjoy!

~

Shikaku is the last to find out about his first grandchild, heading home after work to find his wife and daughter surrounded by piles of storage scrolls.

“This is archaic, Mum,” Shikako says, unsealing a scroll, glancing over the contents, then resealing them again. “Toddler clothes.”

“Oh, set those aside, dear, he’ll need them soon enough,” Yoshino instructs, going through her own set of scrolls–linens, hideous, but an heirloom of the clan head’s line–and putting them away.

“How are you supposed to find anything like this? I can make you a new set of sealing scrolls–or a custom Hammerspace!”

“These work just fine still, Shikako, it’d be a waste to get rid of them–ah! I think this is it.” From Yoshino’s scroll appears a crib, sturdy and steady and capable of withstanding a D-rank jutsu, the same one that carried all three of their children.

That seems like just yesterday, surely it’s not already time to pass it down?

“What’s going on here?”

He can’t possibly be that old already.

His wife and daughter both turn to him before glancing at each other, Yoshino’s expression clearly urging Shikako to explain.

“Well… Dad… um…”

His sons enter the hallway, Kinokawa making silly faces at the baby in Shikamaru’s arms. The red-haired baby in Shikamaru’s arms who reaches out towards Shikako upon spotting her.

He passes the baby over to his sister almost reluctantly and Kinokawa follows, adoringly.

Shikako’s pregnancy is a frustrating, frightening time for all within her vicinity–nothing inspires crankiness and bizarre seals like consecutive nights of sleeplessness. Yoshino remembers being much the same during her own time with the twins, so she is patient.

Still, there comes a point when a mother is done indulging…

… which just so happens to be the same point as when said mother finds her pregnant daughter on the roof of the house in the middle of the night armed with buckets of paint and a brush.

It takes promises of hot cocoa and secrecy to coax her down, safely bundled in a blanket on the sofa, but Yoshino feels much better now that she’s on the ground.

“I’m so tired,” Shikako says, voice cracking with desperation, and so Yoshino tops up her mug.

“You can rest here, sweetheart, you’re safe.” She remembers the paranoia of her daughter’s earlier teen years, perhaps her hormones have kicked it into overdrive.

But Shikako just shakes her head. “I can’t, I can’t,” she repeats, “She needs me, she needs my chakra, I can’t go to sleep. She needs me.”

Yoshino feels a chill go down her spine.

“How does everyone else do this? I’m so tired.”

Pregnancy is supposed to be difficult, yes, but not like that. Not so consciously, actively, impossibly involved.

No more indulging, no more patience.

It takes more than hot cocoa to get Shikako to go to the hospital, but Yoshino knows best.

///

They do not often see their grandchildren from Sand, almost never altogether–that one trip to Wind Country aside, of course–and so it’s a pleasure to have the house full again.

Shikaku enjoys having extra sets of hand to feed the deer–especially ones that still find novelty in the chore, awed at the shy creatures and their forested homes–and Yoshino enjoys having victims to run through her morning stretches.

It’s unfortunate for them, of course, as they are not as flexible as their Konoha siblings and cousin, but they complain far less. Or perhaps are far quieter about it.

Shinki, at least, seems to take it as an opportunity to improve himself–never mind that his almost literal iron spine makes it more difficult–but Araya and Yodo spend more time trying to push each other over while Yoshino looks away.

Not that she isn’t aware of their little competition, but why not let them have their fun?

Shikaku is the one who rescues them and gives them a tour of the village, no better guide than the retired former Jounin Commander after all, before bringing them back to the Nara Clan compound where both their parents await them.

Which is still an odd thought–if anyone had told them that the Kazekage would one day be father to three of their grandchildren, well, the future is an interesting place, indeed.

~

A/N2: … so, um, it’s been a while everyone. Sorry about how long it took. Holidays then being ill and then three days of overtime which caused me to relapse… I’m not fully satisfied with this–much fonder of the original Shikadai’s POV, but hopefully it’s still nice.

Also, since December is approaching and I’ve got a few more prompts in the ask box, instead of sticking with the Ask Box Fake Fic Titles I might as well segue into the Ask Box Advent Calendar so send in those prompts! 😀

I like to picture different domestic set ups, and while there are some problems in Walking Around (Sharing The World) that has more to do with Sasuke and Gaara not liking each other more than the actual situation of multiple households and partners (being aware and tolerant/accepting of each other. This is the important part. I do not condone adultery.)

I also have a soft spot for Sakako’s POV not quite understanding that her family is atypical, but being happy and safe and loved nonetheless.

If you look closely at Sakako’s section in Our Share of the World and in the later part of Walking Around (Like Regular People) I mentioned that Sakako’s genin teammates were likely to be Boruto and Mitsuki since, like Shikako did with Sakura, Sakako would take Sarada’s place. (And the Academy teachers probably figure that since Boruto is Naruto’s son and Sakako is Shikako and Sasuke’s daughter, they’d minimize the next gen Lucky Seven effect and keep it as much to one team as possible. :P)

Unless that was a typo and you meant the Walking Around version of Sarada? In which case… I kind of briefly touched on it in this post, but now that I think more strongly on it… I’d think she’d end up on Team Chiyako (aka Shino’s little sister as their jounin sensei) wiiiiiith Sarada Haruno, as of yet unknown Inuzuka of this generation (whether Hana’s kid or Kiba’s kid or just some other Inuzuka), and a genjutsu user. Possibly of Yakumo’s clan or even Yakumo’s adopted child (I don’t think she’d want to have biological children and risk her condition being passed down).

Or, if Chiyako has already ascended as Aburame matriarch and isn’t available to be a jounin sensei, then it’d be Team Ranmaru with Sarada, next gen Inuzuka, and next gen Aburame (Shino’s kid or some other Aburame).

Either way, they would be more a support type team (like my *fingers crossed* prediction for Team Anko composed of Sakura, Yakumo, and Isaribi) or a search and rescue type team (like I headcanon for Team Hana aka my prediction for what will happen to Hanabi, Chiyako, and Ranmaru that I made long long ago in Don’t Hold Back) instead of the POWERHOUSES of Team Sevens past.

(Ah, now I don’t know if I should tag Sarada posts as Sarada Haruno to differentiate her from canon Sarada. I mean, she’s still genetically canon Sarada. But her backstory is waaaaaay different and she’d actually go by Sarada Haruno instead of Sarada Uchiha.

Eh, what the hell, I’ll tag posts of her with both)

Thinking on it some more, here’s my dream line up for Sarada’s genin team: